Between Life and Death there is Love
by Real Dark inferno
Summary: Starfire is unconshious, trapped in the void between life and death and only Robin can save her. However to do so, he shall have to travel into her mind and give her a reason to come back...


Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans and I am not making any profit from this work of fiction.

Between Life and Death there is...Love 

_'If love can't live there, evil will do just as well.' - _Agatha Christie's 'Death on the Nile'

Covered by a thick sheet of darkness, the once bustling streets of Jump City were deathly quiet as a heavy sheet of rain fell from the heavens. Only one dared to tempt the terrestrial weather...

A teenage girl with fiery red hair and an attire that consisted entirely of tight fitting leathers strolled down the high street, a merry tune playing from her glossy red lips as if she hadn't a care in the world. Behind her, two heavy sacks floated in a bright pink aura; their contents safely contained within the energy and away from the damaging effect of the down pour.

"I do so love the rain." She whispered. Her voice was merry and cheerful despite the ill weather; as if she had not a care in the world. "There truly is nothing better after a robbery than a stroll in the ra..." However, her joyful idiom suddenly died as an explosion of sonic energy hit the ground, not half a metre away from where she was about to tread, and the smile quickly fled from her lips as she turned to see the Teen Titans standing across from her.

"The Showers over Villain." Growled Robin, his eyes narrowing as he set his sights firmly on the leather clad thief. "Much like your reign of crimes."

"Now Girl, if you come along quietly then there's no need for anyone to get hurt." Cyborg added, the mouth of his sonic cannon still smoking as he angled the weapon towards the girl; as if preparing to take another shot.

"Oh don't worry yourself about me steely Dan, I like it rough." She promised, her full lips curving up into a wide smirk as she slowly allowed the two sacks to lower to the ground before she brought her arms up into a defensive stance. "And my name's X, Mistress X."

"Well 'X'," Robin began, his hands reaching beneath his cape to where he kept the collected form of his staff. "If you want a fight, then the Teen Titans will take you down. **Titans Go!**" At their leader's word of command, the group lunged forward but despite their overwhelming advantage, the smirk never faded from Mistress X's lips.

"Well it's a good job I like going down then." She whispered, her bubble gum pink eyes suddenly beginning to glow a vibrant shade. "After all, a good girl really needs to know how to blow..." Her words sparking a strong gust of wind to suddenly spring up, tussling the girl's fiery locks before one wave of her leather clad hand directed the gale towards the attacking Titans.

Having taken to the sky, Starfire and Raven were the first to encounter the hail of rain and wind. Its freezing grip coiling around them like a great serpent before throwing them from side to side in a whirl of action that totally disorientated the girls as they were swept away before being hurled to the ground.

"Starfire!" Robin called, stopping his attack as he watched his secret love falling to the ground but before he could go to her; the gust caught up to Cyborg and Beast boy; knocking even the mighty robotic off his feet as it swept them up like a children's' toys. Unfortunately, morphing into an elephant couldn't save Beast boy as his elephantine form was quickly lifted from the ground and sent soaring back, catching the team's ill placed leader in the chest. Luckily for Robin, the green metamorph was able to return to his original form before they hit a shop wall but the blow still knocked the stuffing out of him. For someone so scrawny, Beast boy sure weighed a fair sum.

Watching the group of teenage superheroes sprawl across the ground, Mistress X couldn't contain herself as she suddenly burst out with laughter. She'd heard the Teen Titans were tough but they'd been knocked down before she could even begin to warm up; this was going to be so easy it almost disappointed her.

"Damn..." Groaned Cyborg, rubbing his bald head with the robotic arm as he slowly rose up. "That girl sure knows how to give a blow-job."

Groaning in agreement, Robin managed to push the dazed Beast boy off before getting to his knees and hurriedly crawling over to where he had seen the girls fall. Yet while Raven seemed to be none the worse for wears as she tried to stand, Starfire must have hit her head as she fell because she lay across the wet ground, unconscious. Quickly undoing the bonds which tied his cape to his body, he rolled the fabric up and placed it beneath the alien princess's head. Unfortunately, Robin was too busy tending to Starfire to notice that an enraged Beast boy was gathering his wits.

"Oh that's it! I've had it with bad guys always throwing me around." The metamorph growled, his green eyes narrowing at the sight of X. "This trollop is mine..."

"Beast Boy, wait!" Cyborg yelled, spotting his comrades intentions even as he fought to stand. Alas, it was too late, so enraged that he couldn't even hear the biotic behemoth's words; Beast Boy turned to his Gorilla form and charged the leather clad seductress. His heavy fists shaking the ground with every swing as he crossed the void between him and her with incredible speed, intent on not giving her another chance to blow him away. Yet, despite the enraged prime-ape rushing towards, X didn't move nor blink, the confident smile gracing her lips until the very end.

Inwardly grinning as he saw she was making no move to defend her, Beast Boy drew himself back; coming to a sudden halt as he reared back onto his hind legs and stood upright with his powerful arms raised. With a mighty roar flowing from his parted jaws, the Gorilla threw all his strength into one attack; swinging his closed fists down. But at the last moment, when his hit seemed most certain; a calculating look suddenly masked the Villain's face as she swung her leg forward.

In an instant, Beast Boy's body reverted back to its normal form. His eyes bulging, he tried to scream but found he was in too much pain to utter words and the best he could do was utter a few strangled gasps as feebly clutching his throbbing genitalia; the green metamorph feel to ground unconscious.

"Boys..." X commented, he red lips turning to a sly smirk as she kicked the downed Titan's side. "No matter what the species, they always follow their cocks."

Watching their team mates defeat, an angered hush fellow over the remaining Titan's. Not even Slade had ever resorted to something as wicked as a crotch shot and the thought of a villain with such tactics sent a cold wash through Cyborg and Robin. However being female, Raven wasn't bound by such primal fears and although she still felt lingering moments of resentment towards the Green shape shifter; the sight of her friend's undignified defeat made her blood boil. Beast Boy may be a fool most of the time but he certainly didn't deserve that...

Pools of dark energy suddenly encased the half- demons hands, her emotions running riot as she considered the metamorph's beating until she could no longer contain the raw emotion and took flight. She wanted to teach this bitch a lesson, she wanted to show her what happens to those who mess with the Titans.

Spying her next challenger, X quickly used her own powers to take flight; raising her body until she was level with the attacking demon girl. Glazed by a sheet of pink energy, the vileness's eyes followed Raven across the sky as a ball of energy collected in her palm. With the titan on a collision course, there was little point in aiming and she released the blast moments before the enraged Raven was due to hit her. However, much to X's surprise; Raven's anger had fuelled her power and she merely swatted the blast aside as she continued on her course.

Although she was far from the strongest member of the team, at that moment, Raven really couldn't have given a damn about such distinctions as she slammed straight into the leather sporting villain. Their entwined bodies cutting a blazing path through the torrential downpour before slamming into the brick wall of an office building; sending a volley of shattered bricks flying into the night as the girl's abandoned all thoughts of their powers.

Embedding the butt of her left wrist beneath X's chin, the Titan drew back her right fist and began punching the villain in the face; not stopping her attack until the seductress's knee slammed into her stomach. Biting back a shout of pain, Raven quickly gave up her attack and backed away before X had another chance to strike. Bubble-gum Pink met amethyst purple as catching their breath, the girls looked gazes in a violent glare; their encased bodies throbbed from the impact but neither cared as they prepared for the next bout.

X was the first to recover and with a burst of pink energy, she exploded from the brick work sarcophagus; a deafening war cry billowing from her painted lips as she charged the floating demon princess with both of her fists drawn back. However, Raven was right behind her and managed to dodge the attack before sending a round house kick into the villain's back; knocking her off balance the power she'd poured into the strike made her plummet to the road below. Grinning ever so slightly as she watched the leather clad red-head slam into the tarmacked road with a resounding thud, Raven couldn't help being thankful she had let Starfire and Robin talk her into taking a few one-on-one sparing sessions; they'd certainly proved to be an asset after-all.

"Do you think Raven beat her?" Cyborg quietly asked Robin, a worried look playing across his partially mechanical face as they watched the part demon slowly descend to the ground. Having both witnessed the full extent of Raven's power at one time or another, they had wisely decided to stay out of her way while she and X fought, neither willing to risk getting in the way of one of her power blasts. However now that she seemed to of calmed down, the urge to help their team-mate was quickly getting the better of them.

"Hard to say; though it defiantly seems like she's down for the count. Raven's got a mean kick and her powers give her one hell of a..." Robin's speech suddenly died however when he caught sight of movement. Evidently, Raven's mean kick hadn't been enough and X quickly scrambled to her feet in time for Raven's prompt landing.

"All right..." X whispered slowly, looking up at Raven through the damp curtain of her red locks whilst her left hand slowly reached behind her "time to bring out the big guns." However, snorting at the Dominatrix's remark, Raven levitated herself off the ground and flew towards the redhead; her right fist outstretched as she prepared to strike. Yet like she had with Beast Boy, the villain refused to move and a wide grin quickly returned to her bloody lips.

In a flash of movement, she side stepped the demon princess's blow before drawing a concealed pair of handcuffs from her within her leathers and slotting one of the bracelets onto Raven's outstretched wrist. Trapped in her flow of motion, she could not recoil and X had only to give a firm tug for her to be thrown off balance.

"What the..." She gasped, almost missing the sound of the other bracelet locking around her wrist as X dragged her arms around her back. Heart racing, Raven desperately tried to break the bonds but found that she lacked the strength or concentration to snap the linking as the vicious edge of the bracelets dug into her wrist. "Let me go you fucking whor..." However, her furious order died into nothing but a series of indistinguishable murmurs as the dominatrix leaned forward and captured the Demonic princess's lips in a searing kiss; a studded tongue pushing past her defences and down her throat before she could so much as make a gesture of protest.

Continuing her siege of the titan's orifice, X wrapped her arms around Raven waist and let her hands descend down to the latex covered orbs of the demon's arse before leisurely kneading the firm flesh; drawing a reluctant moan from the girl even as she struggled against her advances. Her resistance soon began to fade however, replaced quickly by a flow of quiet groans which made the villain giggle as she continued her play.

After a few moments though, the need for air forced her to reluctantly abandon the demon princess's lips and she pulled away.

"Mmmm...You're delicious." X purred, her heavy breathing tickling Raven's check as she leaned forward to lick the burning skin. "Maybe you should consider joining me, imagine all the fun we could have."

"I'd rather die." Raven spat, a hint of red lighting her eyes as her teeth began lengthening to the size of fangs. "Azarath, METRION, **ZINTHOOOOHHHH…**" The incantation turned into a moan seconds before Raven could complete the spell, its power evaporating into the rain as her head rolled back. X's hand was now on her breast, her leather clad fingers teasing the buds of the princess's nipples through the wet latex until they could practically cut glass and she was fighting for breath.

"I'd advise you to reconsider." the villain whispered, a pink glow encasing her hand as she began to feed a volatile cocktail of heat and pleasure against the Titan's breast. "Why throw your life away when you could have so much fun with me?"

"I...I..." Gasping at the fiery haired villain's touch, Raven could barely muster the will to speak. Her mind was quickly receding into itself as the pleasure destroyed all the elements of her control. "**I'LL NEVER JOIN YOU!**"

Negotiations were concluded and A high pitched cry suddenly echoed from Raven's lips, her violate eyes widening as she felt X's other hand rub against her covered core; the incendiary heat of her touch burning along every one of the Princess's nerves. Her body was climaxing in seconds and by the time Cyborg's sonic blast collided with X; Raven's mind had long since receded into the back of her subconscious.

With his fellow Titan acting as artillery, Robin was able to swoop in and catch Raven before her unconscious body hit the ground and cradling her to him; he swiftly removed her from the fight before testing her responses. His knowledge of first aid was only basic but it almost looked like Raven had slipped into shock yet her body was quivering and it lead him to believe X had placed her under a spell. One which would probably lift the moment she went down.

"Robin!" Cyborg suddenly yelled; interrupting the Boy Wonder's train of thought and drawing his attention back to where the robotic behemoth stood. "How's Raven?"

Unsure of how to answer his comrade, Robin gently shock his head, indicating towards a negative response as he placed her down gently. It was becoming painfully clear that a new approach would be needed; this villain was obviously far too powerful to take on one at a time. However, Cyborg had a different theory in mind and before Robin could give an order, the furious cybernetic released a terrifying cry that would have made even Mammoth shake with fear before unleashing a bout of blows from his sonic cannon.

"Cyborg...No!" Robin cried, but his voice couldn't carry over the sounds of the attack and he was forced to watch on helplessly as in a show of incredible flexibility, X avoided every blast sent her way. Unaware that his attack was failing, Cyborg continued furiously blasting away until the reserve power-coupling he used to fuel the cannon was near dead and smirking as he saw the target area become consumed by smoke; he slowly lowered his weapon. The area was hot but his Infra-red scanners couldn't pick up any signs of life...

A coy giggle suddenly sounded from amidst the smoke, warning him of his failure moments before the girl's silhouette appeared through the smoke.

"It's not possible." Spluttered Cyborg, his instruments utterly incapable of explaining how the villain could have made it through that barrage unscathed; every one calculated she should have been blasted to ribbons and yet there she was, standing there as if nothing had happened. "Man I gave her all I had. How can she still be standing?" However, the answer never came and X exploded from the smoke screen before his power-coupling could recharge.

Risking a glance towards Robin, Cyborg saw that the Boy Wonder had broken into a run towards him; but there were many strides dividing them and he quickly calculated the chances of him making it in time were slim to nil. And as if to prove his point, he had just enough time to glimpse X's leather covered fist come rocketing towards his face as he turned back to watch the villain's approach.

Rearing back, the heavy Titan tried to dodge the attack but she was too fast and the villain's clenched fist bounced off the armoured side of his face. Although nowhere near strong enough to dent the reinforced metal, the blow momentarily disrupted his sensors and left him unable to focus as with a burst of strength; the girl began a divesting barrage of kicks and punches. Blind to X's movements, Cyborg could only muster grunts of pain as he was forced back step by step until finally a round-house kick to his lesser defender Solar Plexus knocked him painfully to the ground.

Fortunately, the momentary respite was all it took for his visual sensors to repair themselves and before long he found himself blinking through a murky haze has his vision returned to normal. But the sight which awaited him was far from welcoming.

X stood over him, a triumphant look on her face as she withdrew a small USB Memory Stick from within her leathers.

Quickly realising what she had planned for him, the Titan's face became frozen in a look of horror as he tried to escape, but his drained power cells were barely able to feed his movements and he ended up merely scratching deep groves into the concrete. Giggling at his futile attempt to escape, the seductress waited a moment before pressing her boot against the Cybernetics's side and forcing him to roll on his front; exposing his control panel to her mischievous eyes. Ignoring Cyborg's protests, she got down onto one knee and pushed the cartridge into the port before backing off just as Robin hurled one of his birdyrangs at her.

Swiftly pulling the Memory stick free, the Boy Wonder grabbed his comrade's shoulder and rolled him back around; but no signs of life were visible upon the giants face. His heavy arms now hung completely limp by his side and his one human eye stared blankly up at the rainy sky above them; however, he did note that the normal bright red glow of his metallic eye had retreated to form a vibrant pink X.

"You Bitch..." Robin spat, venom lacing his voice as he turned his attention back to the smirking Villain who appeared to now be holding an item which looked suspiciously like a riding crop. "What did you do to him and how is it you know all our weaknesses?"

"Oh you'd be amazed at what you can find online these days birdie boy." She cooed while playfully giving him a wink and slapping the tip of her crop against her palm. "A group of this city's criminals have been putting together a little data sheet on you five over the past few years and recently posted it on the net for all use aspiring villains to see. Being the naughty girl that I am, I made sure to revise all those little details just in-case I happened to run into you. As for your battery operated friend there, I merely infected him with a couple of my custom designed viruses. They're powerful enough to put sixteen supercomputers to ruin so I doubt he'll be getting up any-time soon."

"Then the only way to save my friends is to stop you?" Robin asked, his voice becoming as emotionless as stone whilst he retrieved his staff.

"Correct." She stated, the sparkle in her eyes quickly flourishing at the thought of fighting the group's leader. '_This should be fun.'_

"So be it."

Robin charged forward, hoping to finish this quick he let the weapon extend to its fullest before swinging it around, only to have X expertly parry the blow like it were nothing. Spinning around, he tried to deliver another blow but yet again she countered him with a skill that belied her young age. Realising that this would be harder than he thought, he double back and retracted the stick till it was a more modest size and then attacked once more. However, this time the Villain launched her own attack and their weapons met mid-way. Sparks flew as steel locked against steel and Robin quickly realised that what he had first taken to be a ridding crop was actually a well-disguised rapier. The stakes of their fight had been raised.

Breaking the interlocked blades' connection, X launched a savage attack that forced the titan back as he strained to bloke every stroke she dealt. She was without a doubt the better swordsman and her speed certainly gave her an additional edge, but he was the stronger fighter and that gave him a savage trump card.

Surging forward with his own assault, Robin tried to knock the weapon from her grasp but the shaft bounced off its cupped hilt and he was forced to double back before she had a chance to spear him with the thin blade. However, seeing an opening in his defence, X propelled herself forward with an explosive burst of pink energy and slammed the thinly woven steal of her guard into the Boy Wonders head; knocking the staff from his hands and throwing him to the rain soaked ground.

Blood freely poured into his eyes as he tried to blink past the dizziness that had sunk in. His head was spinning from the blow he had been dealt and for a moment it was hard for him to place what had happened. All he knew was that for some reason he was lying on the storm drenched tarmac of Jump City high street. Suddenly, a tall figure appeared standing over him and his heart leapt as he realised it was Starfire. A small smile framing his lips as h watched her gorgeous body slip down onto one knee, the space between them quickly evaporating as she leant forward and tentatively placed her full lips onto his...

X couldn't help but grin inwardly as she felt the Boy Wonder respond to her invitation, her little mind trick was working perfectly. In his weakened state, she was able persuade his mind of just about anything and if he believed she was that alien whore, she knew there wasn't anything he wouldn't let her do.

Straddling his waist, her slender hands were buried in the damp fabric of his uniform as she hungrily forced his thin lips apart and drank from his orifice. At her intrusion, Robin's hands came up to grip her hips; a gasp wrenched from her throat as he began kneading the cheeks of her arse through the leathers while pulling her enticing form closer to his body. With his mind trapped in limbo, his body was free to do everything it had had ever wished to do to a certain Tamaranean Princess.

Sensing the shift in his attitude, X began moving her hands down along the hard ridges of the titan's torso; mentally savouring every groan and hiss she could draw from the hero as she let her palms work their magic. By the time she drew near the lining of his utility belt, a prominent bulge was pressing against her thigh.

"Oohhh look at what I have found." She whispered, drawing away from his lips as her hands slowly began petting the youth's arousal through the spandex of his tights. "Looks like little Robin wants to come out a play with Mistress."

"Oh...Starfire." Robin moaned, blind to the actual perpetrator of his pleasure as in his mind, he watched the alien beauty he desired so much, massaging the aching flesh of his arousal with an impossible amount of skill. Every touch of soft fingers seemed to set his nerves ablaze and he could feel the pressure of release quickly building down at the base of his spine. "You're so...So good"

Hearing his words, a high giggle passed the girl's lips and she double her effort; focusing all her powers on the task as she slowly traced the phallus through the dampening cloth. From weeping tip to firm base, she left not a piece of flesh untouched.

"Hmmmm...I'm so glad you like it baby, because once you cum, your mind will dim and you'll be all mine." She whispered before leaning down and slowly closing her lips around the bulge, making Robin gasp and wildly begin buck his hips into her orifice. His body was on the verge and in a moment, when he fell of that peak; his mind would become forever trapped in the dark depths that sloshed against its bottom. And then he would be her prisoner. "You'll be my little dog. A slave bound to do my bidding for the rest of eternity, and there is not a thing your friends can do to save you my precious. By day you shall rob everything I point to, and at night..."

* * *

><p>Although lost in unconsciousness, Starfire was having the sweatiest dream. She and Robin were once more at the fair and he had taken her into the passage way of reflective windows but they had gotten lost within the many passage ways. For hours they had been strolling through the darkened corridors, gleefully admiring their many different reflections without a care in the world. But all good things eventually come to an end and no sooner had Robin begun pulling her closer did her fair of wonders begin melting away.<p>

Although waking slowly, the Alien princess's eyes opened wide the moment she felt the cold touch of rain against her dampened skin and she was forced to watch the word sway like the swells of her home-world's Groglactian Sea. Pain stabbed through her body every time she tried to move so she was forced to lie on the wet gravel, blessedly something soft had been placed beneath her head, providing her with a modest amount of comfort as a vaguely

Familiar sent wafted past her nostrils.

Eventually feeling returned to her body but as her head still ached, she gave it another minute before sitting up, best not to rush things until the pain in her head faded. Unfortunately, her memory had gone with her ability to move and for a long while she could remember nothing besides her dream.

"Robin..." She whispered, visualising the rare smile that she had seen playing across the teen's face and suddenly she remembered where she had inhaled that aroma before. It was Robin's sent. Heart racing, she shot up and looked down, hoping against hope to find Robin lying beside her. Alas she was disappointed to find only his cape rolled up; oh how she longed to find herself waking from sweet dreams to find they had been true and she was greeted by the sight of her glorious friend lying with her.

Suddenly, as if conjured by the thoughts of the Boy Wonder, she remembered it all, the bank robbery, the new villain, being struck to the ground by a strange wind. Her stomach wrenched with fear and looking around, she sadly saw all but one of her team mates was collapsed nearby. But immediately noticing Robin was not among the fallen, she felt herself breathe a sigh of relief, Robin would undoubtedly still be fighting that witch; nothing would stop him from delivering justice upon the wicked criminals.

Hurriedly getting to her feet, Starfire was about to take flight when she suddenly heard someone speaking, realising the voice resented from behind her, she turned towards it without a second thought. But there, not 5 metres away, she saw something that made her heart die.

The criminal who called herself X was lying atop Robin and their lips were joined in a fashion her people considered only suitable for those who had joined themselves to each other in body and soul. At first she hopped that perhaps it was another side effect of her losing consciousness but then to her horror, she witnessed her love begin reciprocating to the lovers embrace. Every second she watched of the couple's entanglement made her die a little inside; until all the joy had faded from her being, leaving a sour emotion in its way which quickly took control.

* * *

><p>"You <strong>Garbankualart<strong>!" Starfire suddenly roared, interrupting X in mid speech, unknowingly saving Robin who had been on the brink of release. Angered at having momentarily lost her slave, the dominatrix turned to where the alien stood, seeing to her surprise that the Tamaranean's green glow had somehow turned deep purple. Yet if the discovery had proven to do anything besides shock her, she didn't let it show.

"Well...well...well." She began, trying to take the phenomenon in her stride but failing to hide the shaking in her voice. For the first time in longer than she could remember, she felt a twinge of fear coiling around her spine. "Look who has finally woken up. I had hoped to deal with you once Robin had been fully broken but I guess I'll have to save that for later."

Starfire never flinched, the glow of her purple energy flickering brightly in the low light as she starred down at X with murder in her eyes. "If you wish not to be destroyed, you shall step away from friend Robin and surrender yourself to me now." She warned, a purple ball of energy forming around both of her enclosed fists.

"Big words Starslut, let's see if you can back them up." An explosion of pink energy suddenly lit up the stormy night sky and X charged towards Starfire with all the force of a speeding asteroid. She was hoping surprise would give her enough of an edge to be able to overcome the Alien's superior strength but a cry from the titan put an end to the villain's aspirations when she was hit by a Starblast so powerful it sent her flying back into an adjacent wall.

The purple beam consumed X's body in a heartbeat and she was unconscious long before she could have gathered enough breath to scream. With her consciousness went the effects of her magic and as the blast began to die like the rain overhead, the titan's slowly began to rouse; all except Beast boy of course, who had yet to recover from the physical agony.

"Ummm...Where'd the girls go?" Cyborg asked, disappointment and confusion evident in his voice as X's virus filtered out of his hardware. Evidently, the infectious program had not entirely disagreed with the Titan.

"Oh...that bitch," Raven replied, rubbing her head as if to banish the embarrassing memories of her so called fight from her head. "I don't like being touched."

Robin was the only one among them not counting his wounds. Content that he'd live to die another day, he let his dart between X's unconscious body, to Starfire, whose eyes had returned back to their normal olive green, and then back to X; not entirely sure he was seeing what he thought he was. Sure Star's blasts had certainly grown more powerful since she'd evolved into a mature Cironeilian but he doubted her powers alone could beat an adversary as strong as X when said foe happened too know all their strengths and weaknesses. There had to be something more to this than what he could see. But before he had a chance to quiz the Alien princess, she suddenly took to flight.

"Hey wait. Starfire!" He called, hoping his voice could reach her before she got out of earshot. Yet it was too late, she had already gone and he was left to watch her soar towards the tower.

"Hey man let her go." Cyborg suddenly called, drawing the Boy Wonders attention back to his team-mates, who at last had managed to collect themselves and seemed to be ready to leave the high street. "Girls sometimes like some time to themselves, she'll be fine. Star's more than tough enough to take care of herself."

Reluctantly, Robin gave a nodded in agreement and began following them back to the Tower, but not before turning and giving one last long glance to where he had last seen his love flying. He didn't need superpowers to know when something was bothering someone and something was defiantly bothering Starfire. Flying off alone into the night without a word spoken, that was normal for Raven perhaps, but defiantly not like his Starfire.

* * *

><p>Robin's suspicions proved to be well founded as none of the team heard anything more of Starfire for the rest of the day, or the remainder of the week for that matter. Although the tower's security log had recorded Starfire's return shortly before that of the others, she seem to of locked her chambers from within and refused to come out, no matter what they tried...<p>

Pressing his ear against the lock of the blast door, Robin desperately tried to pick the barrier's lock; every once and awhile cursing that he knew he should of memorised the locking codes. It had now been a week since they'd taken down X and he had long since grown tired of subtle tactics, he wanted to know what was wrong with Starfire and he wanted to know now.

A loud crack suddenly echoed through the night, signalling that another pick had broken and losing his temper, the Titan withdrew the broken metal and hurled it at the floor. He'd been at this for well over an hour now and to say the least, the continued melody of breaking picks was starting to irritate him.

Waiting a moment before continuing, he tried to catch his breath and reached down to his belt in search for more picks. There was only one left. Cursing again, he carefully inserted the tool into the lock; his fingers moving with skilled precision as tried to work the lock open.

Click.

Eyes widening, he slowly withdrew the pick and saw to his amazement that the tool was still intact.

'It's open.' he realised, a small smile appearing across his lips as he slipped the metal back into its pouch before retrieving the small torch he'd brought from his chambers. Pushing the steel barrier open, he turned the torch on and shone its beam into the darkness. In contrast to the metallic, futuristic ambience of most of the rest of the tower's rooms, including his own, Starfire's chambers was a mirror representation of its owner, entirely modest but still warm and comforting. Never before had he dared to break into the Alien princess's bedchamber and although urgency tug at his heart, Robin couldn't resist taking a moment to survey the room, telling himself that it were to seek out any concealed hideaways where an attacker may lay in wait. A rich carpet, made from the luxurious pink fur of some strange alien creature dominated the chambers metal floor, hiding all but a few small spaces from his view. Wood furniture lined the walls and each was littered with various trinkets, their strange designs confusing him to their actual purpose.

His light swept across the smooth wood of the princess's vanity table, illuminating the metal of an elegant jewellery box and reflecting off the material of Starfire's wrist and neck guards; exposing to him the presence of many combs, hairpins and perfume bottles. Everything appeared normal but for some reason, he had the nagging suspicion that something wasn't right, that something obvious was missing; besides Starfire of course.

Suddenly, Robin felt something hard against his foot and dropping the lights glow to it, he found what he had been looking for. It was a rune decorated picture frame, one he'd bought Starfire some months ago because he'd seen her admiring it once in a store window. Without thinking, he bent to retrieve it but as he turned it over to expose the picture within, he had to fight the impulse to drop it again. The picture had been removed and the protective glass supposed to cover it had been smashed. But before he could figure out what to make of this discovery, a faint groan suddenly reached his ears and spinning round, a saw a canopied four-poster bed that had somehow escaped his noticing.

Hesitating for just a moment, he quickly strode forward, grabbed the drawn curtains and pulled them apart; exposing a sight which made his face pale instantly as he stepped back in fright.

"**STARFIRE!**"

* * *

><p>Outside the medical station of the tower, Robin was pacing back and forth. His heart and mind both racing as he waited impatiently the locked doors to open, his eyes darting back to them every other minute. Although he knew Raven was her best and would undoubtedly fare much better without distraction, he couldn't help but wish he was in there also, just so he could know Starfire was all right.<p>

It had been two hours since he'd found Starfire lying unconscious in her room and he'd been in such a frightful state that he was sure she would have perished right then and there. But miraculously, she had managed to linger on until he and Raven had managed to get her up to the health centre and now it was purely a matter of waiting. Of course, Cyborg and Beast Boy had been unwilling to leave him alone but their idea of reassuring him had been to repeatedly tell him to sit down before he wears the floor trough and falls to the floor below.

"Man, Robin will just sit down!" Cyborg called, obviously more agitated by Robin's frantic pacing than the ill condition of their friend. Throughout the ordeal, the metallic giant had managed to keep his cool composure but now the stress finally seemed to be getting to him. "Re-texturing the floor with your feet isn't going to help Star."

Reluctantly placing himself back in the once comfortable chair, the Boy Wonder soon felt Beast Boy's hand clapping him on the shoulder in what was obviously meant to be a reassuring gesture.

"Hey Dude, Starfire is going to be just fine." He said; his voice retaining its usual cheery tone though his hand gesture failed to carry such merit. "She's tough."

_'Yeah...I've heard that before.'_ Robin thought, remembering how similar those were to the words Cyborg had used after the battle with X. But before he had a chance to voice his doubts, the doors of the medical centre opened and out walked Raven; a more sombre look playing across her face than any had ever seen her wear before.

"Starfire's dying." She said; her voice equally as sombre in tone. "I don't know why. Besides malnutrition, she appears to be in perfect health and her brain wave show no unusual readings. It's almost as if she has lost the will to live."

Moments passed by with nothing but silence to fill the void left by Raven's declaration. Not sure of what to make of the words, even Beast Boy was silent.

"She's...really dying." Robin finally asked as tears began welling up in the corner of his eyes. Just because he'd anticipated it didn't make it was any easier to hear. The dagger of loss was already tearing at his heart and he had to fight not to burst into tears at just the thought of never seeing the girl again.

Closing her eyes, Raven gave him a nod. Although the team was more than aware of the attraction between the two, only she truly know what Robin was going through; her mental abilities picking up every emotion that rushed through the teen like sonar would the surrounding noise.

"But there has to be something we can do." Cyborg voiced, unable to accept what he was hearing and almost bolting out of his seat in his haste. "This is Starfire we're talking about Raven; we can't just let her die."

For a moment it looked like she was about to answer him, but at the last moment she paused and then turned away. All this may have happened in the space of a few moments but Robin saw through it like a pain of glass and sensing this Raven knew she had to tell them.

"There may be a way..." She began though still hesitant, afraid more of getting the groups hopes up and then them being proved hollow dreams than anything. "Tamaraneans are a highly emotional race of beings; it's possible an upset in her emotions caused Starfire's distress. If so, it might also be reversible but time is short and it can only be done by one person." Raising her hand, she pointed an unwavering finger towards Robin. "For the past hour, I have been attempting to tap into Starfire's subconscious but every time she manages to block me out. Whatever happened was so damaging to her that she's built barriers the likes of which I have never seen to protect her from all outside influences. However, as Robin and Starfire have always had a strong connection, if he were to attempt entry, it's possible her defences may weaken enough for me to carry him through."

Robin didn't even think twice before hurriedly nodding his head, but before he could even get up from his seat; Raven was spoke again. "Robin this isn't a game, if we're too late and Starfire dies whilst you are still inside her mind; you'll die too." Still he stood and seeing that he could not be dissuaded, Raven didn't say another word before leading him into the medical wing; leaving Cyborg and Beast Boy alone in the corridor.

Upon entering the room, however, Robin felt his breath catch and his steps suddenly halt as his gaze drifted to deceivingly peacefully sleeping Starfire. Only her abnormally pale skin, which was now almost as light as his, and the machines that had been set up next to the bed indicated that she was anything other than perfectly healthy. Dressed in her usual purple attire, it almost looked like she had come in here to lie on one of the cots and had fallen asleep. Oh how he wished that had been the case.

Raven directed him to lie on the cot next to Starfire's before busying herself with some other machines which Robin guessed would soon connected to him. However, not wanting to waist any more time, he quickly lowered himself to the cot and tried to get comfortable on the lumpy mattress.

"Are you sure you want to do this Robin? Raven suddenly asked, though her gaze never left the machines. "No one would think any less of you if you changed your mind."

"I'm sure Raven." Robin whispered, though not so sure his voice projected the confidence he would have liked. It would be a lie to say he wasn't considering it, when there was so much at stake it was only natural to have doubts; but doubts were like cracks and would only cause a problem if not kept in check. "Starfire would gladly risk her life to save me, what sort of friend would I be if I wasn't willing to do the same for her."

"Very well," Raven finally concluded after a moment's pause, at which point she left her machines and came to stand between his and Starfire's cot. "Remember, the mind is like a picture of our emotions, try and use what you see to your advantage and don't tally. I'll take you as deep as I can but I suspect you'll still have to find Starfire." Nodding in understanding, Robin watched as she placed one hand on his temple and the other on Starfire's. "Just let your mind go blank."

* * *

><p>Suddenly feeling the cool touch of stone against his skin, Robin bolted upright. His heart still racing as the sensation of being pulled through a key hole continued to rattle his nerves. The sensation of being pulled from his head and pushed into Starfire's had defiantly not been fun.<p>

Stone walls were the first thing he noticed, heavily built stone walls which reminded him of those that made up a medieval castle's inner body and they were standing parallel to one another to form a passageway. Mounted torches and heavy tapestries hung around him, casting the corridor with an eerie air. Dark and gloomy, the ancient walkway was certainly not what he had been expecting Starfire's head to be like. Remembering what Raven had told him however, Robin quickly got to his feet and hurried down the corridor without a second thought for the décor. Star's life was hanging in the balance and every second he wasted brought her one step closer to death.

Trampling over what he could only assume to be a Tamaranean rug, he stormed through the passageway like a man possessed and didn't waver even as he passed through an archway and into a tight maze of passageways. Fortunately, her years of meditation had allowed Raven an idea of what he would face and she had been very in-depth in his briefing, a fact he was growing more and more thankful of as he passed a growing number of passageways that broke off and lead to places he had no business going. If not for her wisdom, it would have been oh so easy for him to lose his way and become trapped for all eternity.

Truth be told, Robin found the temptation to veer off course and sneak a peek within the off branching chambers near overwhelming, but he knew that if Starfire ever learnt he had violated her privacy in such a way, he'd never forgive him. Sufficed to say, what she would have in store for him would probably make what she had done to X look like child's play.

Finally, after what felt like an hour's hard marching; Robin found what it was he sought. Stretching across the entire width of the passageway, an immense door of metal barred his way. It was the last defence of Starfire's mind and would be his first test. Passed this was supposed to be the core and it was there he would find whatever it was he was supposed to convince. But first he had to get through this blasted barricade.

Striding up to the imposing mass of metal, he took a quick breath before putting out his palm and pushing against the door with all his might. It gave way like it had only been made of paper but as it fell; Robin only had time to glimpse a stretching blackness before he suddenly felt an immense vortex sucking his body into the void.

Too strong for him to resist, the vacuum pulled the titan into the darkness head-first and threw him across its icy depths in an inelegant swirl; it felt as if the oxygen in his lungs was being sucked from his very body as he was pitched through a dark lake. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it was over and Robin found himself standing in a very different room

Circular stone walls and high rise windows, it reminded of something one would find in a fairy tale of an imprisoned princess. The irony of it did not escape him.

His heart skipped a beat when he spotted Starfire, dressed in a flowing white gown and lying on a queen size bed with wood frame in the centre of the room; she did truly look like an enchanted princess.

"Starfire!" He called, running to her bed. She didn't respond and it took a moment for him to realise that she was deeply unconscious. Panic rising within his chest as he realised that he might have been too late, Robin quickly placed two fingers upon her neck, blindly searching for a pulse. Unbeknownst to him however, the moment his skin touched hers, Starfire's eyes had opened in an unseeing gaze and a bolt of sudden energy slammed into Robin's chest and threw him against the nearby wall.

"Friend Robin..." whispered Starfire, her voice deathly faint as she slowly sat up on her bed to look at him. "You should not be here, please leave me alone."

"Starfire?" He asked, concern evident in his voice as he got up from the stone floor to look at her. Tentatively, he tried to edge forward but an invisible force held him against the stone. "I came to take you home." He said, hoping to get through to her enough for the barrier to lessen.

"The tower is not my home, Friend Robin." She said, her voice holding true to its emotionless note as she observed him with an unwavering stare. "A home is a place of residence or refuge and comfort. The tower holds neither for me. Please leave."

'_Shit, this is going to be harder than I thought.'_ He thought, desperately trying to think of a way around the problem, yet nothing came to him and so he decided to resort to a more direct approach. "Star, I am not leaving here until you talk to me..." His speech was suddenly cut off however when a fresh bolt of the force crashed against him, it's invisible touch coiling around his throat as it lifted him off the ground and braced him against the wall. His air supply cut off, Robin could do little more gasp as he was slowly chocked to death. "Star...fire..." He gasped, his speech laboured as darkness enveloped him. "You're killing me."

And then, just like that, the force was lifted and Robin fell to the ground in a weak huddle as he gasped for new breath.

"Robin?" A familiar voice suddenly spoke out, drawing the recovering teen's attention back to the bed, where he saw through watery eyes that Starfire had seemed to recover some of her normal state. A faint shine shone within her emerald depths and if Robin wasn't much mistaken, he could have sworn he had heard concern in her voice.

"Starfire, is it you?" He asked, his voice still hoarse from the blow but somehow he found strength enough to stand before tentatively trying to take another step. Expecting to be bowled over by the force at any moment, he braced himself but this time the barrier was down and he found his way unhindered as he slowly began to walk towards her. Yet despite the recognition, she seemed unable to look at him and turned away long before he had even gotten close to the bed.

"Please..."She whispered, her voice as frail and weak as her physical body. "Robin, you must leave this place, I don't know how much longer I can control it." He ignored her plea however and instead circled around the bed so he could stand before her down tilted head.

"Starfire, I need to know what's wrong." He whispered softly, his hand gently tilting her head back up so he could look down into those beautiful jewels, observing as he did the tears that were welling in the corners. Oh how he loved to gaze into her eyes and lose himself in the swells of their depths like some tropical ocean. "What is it Star? What's haunting you so badly? Please let me help you..." Suddenly, a tortured sob interrupted his words as Starfire broke down, tears freely rolling down her pale skin as with nothing left in his arsenal to draw back on; Robin cradled her in a comforting embrace.

Moments passed like the changing seasons but neither cared for they felt like nothing could hurt them so long as they remained together. Neither would ever allow the other to come to harm, their love would always protect them and bind them together their bond was greater than that of any blood relatives and they carried more for one-another than any star-crossed lovers could ever hope to dream of.

"It was the villain X." she finally whispered, her breath warming his neck as she continued to silently weep against him. "I witnessed how you responded to her touch back on the street of high. On my world, such interactions are only reserved for courting couples with close bonds of attractions." Robin's mouth ran dry. In the rush of revelations, he had completely forgotten about X's witchcraft.

Shame and embarrassment etching across his face, the Titian held the princess close as with shaky breaths.

"X had me under a spell." He whispered, his heart thumping so heavily he feared it may burst forth from his ribs at any moment. "She made me believe it was actually you who was touching me Starfire." But he didn't stop there, now the dam had broken, the truth came flowing from him like a sea of water. "Everything I felt was because of you Star. You are the most perfect creature I have ever met. You're kind and sweet and you care about everyone. It's like you're an angel who was sent from heaven. I lov..." His speech died as Starfire silenced his proclamation with a searing kiss.

He responded without hesitation and pulled her to him, crushing her warm body to his as their tongues met in a duel of age old passion. Years of pent up desire bubbled to the surface as their bodies became entwined, his arms diving for her succulent rear while her arms wrapped around his neck. Their motions were slow but after waiting for this moment for so long, neither was going to risk ruining the mood by moving too fast.

The searing dance of their tongues continued until his body demanded oxygen and they were forced to break the contact. Breathing hard, the couple looked intently at one another, as if to check they were truly ready for this. But after that first, passionate embrace, neither faltered.

"I love you Robin." Starfire said, her face lighting up with joy. Yet despite her radiant glow, Robin couldn't miss the fear that gleamed within her emerald orbs, as if afraid he might suddenly reject her heart filled plea. "Since the moment we first met I have loved you and I always shall, until the day they burn my body. I will love you and only you, dearest Robin."

Although embolden by her sweet words, the need to reassure his love after her heart drawn confession compelled him to do something to make this moment all the more special. However, with words not being his strong suit, Robin was forced to choose something a little more 'physical' as he gently cupped her chin in the palm of his hand while capturing her full lips in a tender kiss.

His hunger for her burned with more intensity than three sun but Starfire deserved more than a bout of primal fucking and he would be damned if he would ruin their first time together by acting like some selfish animal. Yet as the sweet taste of exotic fruits played across his taste-buds, Robin found it harder and harder to resist his urges; until Starfire used a sudden burst of movement to switch their places, him sitting on the bed while she stood before him.

"Robin..." She whispered as with shaky fingers, she pushed the white fabric straps from her shoulders. Pooling around her feet on the stone floor, the princess's lover saw that she had been wearing nothing beneath the angelic white gown and his mouth was left to water as his eyes feasted up the sight of her naked beauty. Without a doubt, she was the most wondrous thing he had ever seen and although he was used to the sight of her half naked body; nothing could have prepared him for the godly radiance of her natural beauty. Her tanned flesh, which seemed almost accentuated in the flickering candle light, was flawless and suffered not a single blemish despite all the battles she had undoubtedly faced. Her breasts were fully-round, firm and were topped by dusky nipples that had already hardened, like his painfully erect arousal which was all but screaming for attention within the tight confines of his spandex trousers.

Seeing the look of hunger that glazed Robin's features as he looked at her, Starfire couldn't help but feel nervous. He reminded her of the predatory felines which stalked her people on Tamaran and she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps there was a fierce beast within the teen, waiting to feast upon her when she least expected it. But when he extended his arm, all her fears seemed to wash away and she gingerly accepted his offering and allowed herself to be pulled onto his lap; their lips joining in age old passion as they rolled back onto the bed's soft embrace. Robin ended up on top.

* * *

><p>Panting and more exhausted than either of them could ever remember being, the star-crossed lovers collapsed together atop of the bed, their naked bodies still entwined as they lay atop the ruined sheets in a near unconscious state of bliss. Too comfortable to move, the couple never noticed as the still glowing room began to melt away and they were left floating across a veil of luxurious pinks and oranges that would have made Robin think of a sun kissed evening sky above some tropical isle. In the back of their minds, they knew that the time would come when they would have to leave this sanctuary and return to the coldness of the real world, where their love would meet a wall of uncountable obstacles. But for now they would enjoy the moment and relish every second in this Garden of Eden between life and death or heaven and hell.<p>

Here was only love and only love truly mattered.

The End

AN: Due to the restrictions imposed by the rules of , I have edited this to remove almost all X-rated content, thereby lowering it to a more M Rated standard but I have posted the full version on both AFF and mediaminer. Feel free to view it at any time or if you want the address directly, just me in a review or PM and I shall get back to quickly.

I would also like to say a special thank you to the artist Scorpia who has helped me immensely with this piece; hope we can work together on another soon.


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